Saturday, September 13, 2008

Japan is to carry carbon footprint labels on food packaging and other products in an ambitious scheme to persuade companies and consumers to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions.

The labels, to appear on dozens of items including food and drink, detergents and electrical appliances from next spring, will go further than similar labels already in use elsewhere.

They will provide detailed breakdowns of each product's carbon footprint under a government-approved calculation and labeling system now being discussed by the trade ministry and around 30 firms.

The labels will show how much carbon dioxide is emitted during the manufacture, distribution and disposal of each product, the ministry said.

Sapporo, a leading Japanese brewery, has already said it will carry the labels on cans of its popular Black Label beer. Shoppers will be told how much CO2 is emitted by the machinery used to plant barley and hops, during production and transportation, and when the empty can is recycled.

The Japanese campaign is loosely modeled on a British pilot scheme involving Tesco and several other firms, though that scheme has yet to gain official approval.